


Two Boys In Search Of An Exit

by John_Q_Sample



Category: Hello Neighbor (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Hide and Seek, No Dialogue, escaping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-22
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-09-23 18:56:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20345059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/John_Q_Sample/pseuds/John_Q_Sample
Summary: Hiding in the basement and waiting for his next chance to escape, Aaron spots his father bringing Nicky in.And he thinks it's a permanent arrangement, too. Aaron could almost laugh at the idea.





	Two Boys In Search Of An Exit

**Author's Note:**

> title ripped off of the twilight zone ep "five characters in search of an exit". i was gonna do "exit, pursued by middle-aged man." (from "exit, pursued by bear" meme) but that felt creepy. even if i just said "exit, pursued by man." (and it just felt less related to the subject of the story.) also my mommy said the twilight zone one sounded better so there.
> 
> but yeah i spent a solid few minutes figuring the title which is why you guys now have to hear about it. it was a ride.

As terrible as it is, Aaron really is relieved for the distraction that the new "guest" brings. He can't squash the feelings, so he simply lets them bloom into a plan to escape. For both of them.

Mr. Peterson claims to know every inch of his house, even the basement. But he hasn't been forced to live here for the past few days. He hasn't paced these walls desperately searching for an escape. Aaron has.

So Aaron knows how to hide without getting spotted. He ducks down and watches, thankfully undetected, as Mr. Peterson carries the kid in. Nicky Roth, an old friend of Aaron's. Not like that makes any difference.

At least Mr. Peterson is being polite, carrying the kid down rather than dragging him. He leaves the bedroom door ajar after entering, and Aaron watches him place Nicky down on the mattress.

So he'll be staying here, too.

Aaron imagines it's to prevent the horrible truth from coming out to the public, not only tarnishing Mr. Peterson's already questionable reputation but, and this is what's really important to him, potentially separating him from Aaron. Mr. Peterson will no doubt tell himself that this will help keep Aaron complacent too; having a friend to stay with would certainly make it easier to handle being down here all the time. It’s  _ healthier _ for growing boys to have friends, isn’t it?

Aaron creeps closer to the room and flattens himself against the wall to watch. Mr. Peterson's keen sense of hearing—what Aaron would often joke as being superhuman—is lost upon his utter distraction from anything around him. He's fussing over Nicky now, trying to wrap a bruise or a sprain—Aaron can't tell from his safe distance and isn’t interested in checking it out—on his wrist.

Nicky won't accept a permanent residence here. Neither will Aaron. With Mr. Peterson distracted like this, Aaron takes the chance to sprint upstairs to the living room. He makes it safely, not even hearing any footsteps behind him.

Nope, Mr. Peterson is totally distracted. He's off his game; he has been ever since the night Nicky came to investigate Aaron's screams. Aaron feels no guilt in taking full advantage of that.

Aaron pauses at the door, noticing that the front door is so close to him. Unguarded, and with the promise that there's no one outside to catch him, scold him, and shove him back indoors.

He's never had a chance like that before. And he knows he never will again.

He can't go back to that basement, can't call it home. But it's these sickening memories that prompts Aaron into action. What kind of a friend would he be if he let Nicky go through the same thing? Besides, he's caused enough problems already.

Aaron hides in the nearest cabinet, just in time to spot his father walking out the door of the basement. Aaron backs up as Mr. Peterson walks across the living room with a pair of keys in his fist. He heaves a sigh and leans against the wall. Sits there for a few seconds. His arms are moving, slightly, and then he turns and goes to his bedroom.

Empty-handed.

The door closes, and Aaron springs out. His heart races as he scrambles towards the table, which has the keys.

The old man really is distracted. This new guest might just be his downfall.

Aaron can feel those scolding green eyes on him as he fumbles with the key. It slides into the lock easily after the third try, and at that point Aaron feels like he might go into cardiac arrest. He bursts through the doorway, then as an afterthought he tugs the door closed behind him.

Mr. Peterson knows that Aaron is somewhere in the house, but he has yet to find out where. And Aaron has to keep it that way; that's his biggest advantage in this strange chase.

He's down the stairs within a few seconds, and he doesn't even have to worry about his footsteps making sound. He's sure it'll freak Nicky out, assuming he's awake already, but to be fair, there are a lot of other things that would freak him out as well. And this would be a good surprise.

Aaron's calmer now that he's in the basement, so he has no problem unlocking the door. He steps back, waiting for it to open, but nothing comes. Aaron can hear halted breathing from the other side, so he figures Nicky must be waiting at the door to see if there's anything out there that might stop his escape.

Which Aaron gets. So he disappears, like usual.

Back at the ground floor, he narrowly avoids a run-in with his father, but a creaking floorboard on the steps causes Mr. Peterson to sprint after him. Aaron hides, as deft as ever.

It's like a violent game of hide and seek. Even with the dangerous consequences of getting caught, Aaron can force himself to imagine it's all just playing. He's a criminal, and his father a cop so crooked that it would make Aaron's crimes seem like good deeds.

And Nicky, that's the guy who was going to help break him out. But he got caught, too, and now they've split, sending the frustrated cop on an impossible chase. Either the three of them know that he can’t win, or it’s just the two of them so  _ desperately _ hoping that he won’t.

Never once does Aaron run into Nicky. Occasionally, he'll spot the kid through a window or a lock on a door he's peering through to look out for his dad. He's not even sure Nicky knows he's there. That's fine. They won't be for much longer.

Seeing Mr. Peterson catch Nicky and drag him back into the basement is enough to dispel the illusion and send Aaron into a simple rage. He knocks a cabinet down, causing the wood to splinter.

Seconds later, pounding footsteps head in his direction. Grinning madly, Aaron scrambles up to the roof, then crawls towards the back of the building. He enters through the open window in Mr. Peterson's bedroom and then sprints towards the kitchen.

Mr. Peterson is about to chase him when he hears glass shattering somewhere else. Growling with a simmering rage, he sprints in the direction of the noise, and Aaron takes the opportunity to go back upstairs. Eventually the man will get tired of going up and downstairs. Aaron just hopes Mr. Peterson wears himself out first.

Once upstairs, Aaron pauses from his search for a new hiding spot and peers out the front facing window. Nicky has a key and is unlocking the front door.

But Mr. Peterson is chasing him.

Nicky throws the gate open and sprints through, not even bothering to close it behind himself. He reaches his house easily, practically stumbling upon the front steps.

Aaron launches a vase at a window facing the side of the building. It arcs and crashes into the grass.

Crouching down, he peers through the front-facing window again. Mr. Peterson is hesitating now, wanting desperately to chase after Nicky but also to prevent a second escape in the same day. Aaron's heart pounds, the only sound in the room now, and the few seconds of the decision feel like an eternity.

But Mr. Peterson closes the gate and heads back to investigate.

And Aaron's off again.

Somehow, it makes sense that Nicky got out before him, but Aaron's glad for it. With the other kid out, Aaron has less to worry about. Even  _ with _ Mr. Peterson now focusing solely on him, Aaron’s sure he can get out before nightfall.

**Author's Note:**

> oh yeah i watched a playthrough of hide and seek and um (= it hurt me as much as i thought it would (= because the trailer alone had me clutching my chest in agony (=


End file.
